Process for aging alkali cellulose



1949 s. a. SEAMAN ET-AL 2,

PROCESS FOR AGING ALKALI CELLULOSE Filed March 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS 5rfw/aer fffAM/vv B055 7 K/IVG ATTORNEY 1949 s. E. SEAMAN ETAL I 2,490,097

-PROCE$S FOR AGING ALKALI CELLULOSE Filed March 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 MERCERIZER SHREDDER JHREDDEI? INVENTORS jfEw/uer E $.EA/YA/v pafewerp K/Nc; BY A ATTO R N EY which the cr Patented Dec. 6, 1949 v UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR AGING ALKALI CELLULOSE Stewart E. Seaman, White Plains, N. Y., and Robert P. King, Richland, Wash.

' Application March 15, 1941, Serial No. 135,002 3 Claims. (01. 260233) This invention-relatestm an apparatus an method tor -aging alkali cellulosein' the viscose process and has for" an object to provide for the continuous handling of the alkali cellulose through the ripening or aging step 'Another object is to provide for the uniform processing of the alkali cellulose under con- "trolled' conditions.

Another object is to provide equipment for the above purpose which may be economically operated onqa commercial scale.

Another object is to provide continuous aging equipment which is adapted for use with continuous mercerizing and'shredding apparatus and with continuousxanthation apparatus.

Various other objects and advantages will be 4 apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed. i

In the viscose process the pulpin the form of sheets or slurry is steeped in a caustic soda solution having a concentration of about 14 /2% to 18% caustic, at a deilnite temperature and fora tim suited to dissolve the hemicellulose and leave the sheet or slurry with a high a cellulose content. The sheets or alkali cellulose mass from the slurry may then be pressed by means of a hydraulic ram or other suitable press to squeeze out the surplus caustic which may be recovered.

The resulting alkali cellulos product may then be treated inshredder machines where the alkali cellulose is reduced to soft crumbs by a shredding operation which loosens, blends and flufis up the cellulose fibres. During this operation the alkali cellulose is preferablykept at a temperature of about 18 to-50 C. The crumbs are then aged for a substantial period of time under controlled conditions, after which they are treatedwith carbon disulphide to form cellulose xanthate which may be dissolved in dilute caustic soda'to form aviscose spinning solution.

The present invention relates particularly to the aging step and provides a vertical tower into 7 b is continuously fed from the shredder and; is allowed to settle downwardly through a the tower while being continuously removed ircmthe bottom at a controlled rate so as to maintain the crumb in the tower ;ior a'predetermined period of time. The tower may be provided with a temperature control jacket for "maintaining the crumb under desired temperature conditions during" the aging process. It may alsobe' provided with means for passing air or inert gasupwardly through-the tower as desired for facilitating the treatment. The crumb is redio'ved from the bottom of the tower by suitable 2 r 1 rotating pickers which "serve to..tear'the crumb from the lowest layer in the tower and to pass the same at a controlled rate to a discharge hopper. i The aging or ripening process in the tower requires a period of several ho s time during which the viscosity of the cellulose gjraduaily'reduced. This is thought to be eilected by oxidation of the alkali cellulose and the consequent shortening of the molecular chain. It is necessary to control closelythe time and temperature and the admis'-- sion of air or oxygen or other gas to the fibres in the tower. -A variation-in time requires a variation in temperature and 'vice versa. Excess admission of oxygenor carbon 'dioxidetc the alkali cellulose crumb may result in the formation of sodium carbonate which affects adversely the subsequent xanthation process. Hence it is important to control closely all of these variable factors during the'aging period.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are pointed out more particularly in the accompanying claims.

The nature of the invention,"'however, will be better understood-by referring to the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which a specific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration. V

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an "aging tower embodying the presentv invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the discharge pickers;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view illustrating one type of picker;

Fig. 4 is a similar detail view illustrating a different type of picker;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan .view illustrating a third type of picker; F i

Fig. 6 is a section taken'on the line C6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '1 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified-type of drive means iorthe pick ers; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic flow the present process. i 7.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown in Fig. 1 as embodied in a diagram illustrating tower iii comprising an inner cylindrical shell II and an outer cylindrical shell I! spaced therefrom to form a fluid jacket 26. The shells ii and i2 are shown as mounted on a base ring it which is supported onle'gs II. The ring II- also carries a conical discharge hopper terminating in a discharge duct i'l having a ball valve |2 including rotating vanes I! which are adapted to discharge the crumb at a controlled rate while maintaining a vapor seal.

The supporting ring; I4 is also shown as Provided with an annular e 22 communicating with an inlet duct 2| and having an annu larly spaced row of discharge openings 22 arranged to supply the selected gas to the interior of the tower. An inlet duct 22 communicates with the jacket 22 between the shells II and II for the admission'of temperature control fluids and a discharge duct 21 is connected to remove the fluids from said Jacket. Suitable baflles 22 may be provided to eflect a uniform flow of the temperature control fluid around the jacket 22 between the inlet duct 22 and the outlet duct 21.

The tower I2 is shown as provided with a cover 22 having a supply. hopper 2| through which the crumb is supplied to the tower, and having a manhole cover 22 for maintenance purposes. A conical distributor 22 is shown as provided beneath the supply hopper 2| and mounted on struts 24 for distributing the material uniformly across the tower. Such distributor may, of course, be modifled or omitted as desired.

A discharge picker assembly 22 extends across the bottom of the tower above the fluid inlet openings 2 2. As shown in Fig. 2 this assembly comprises a plurality of shafts 22 carrying picker fingers 22 and journaled in supports 42 on opposite sides of the tower. The shafts 22 are shown as provided with worm gears meshing with suitable worms mounted on a shaft 4| driven through a gear reduction box 42 by a motor 42. The worm gears are preferably designed to cause alternate shafts 22 to rotate in opposite directions, although in certain instances they may be arranged to cause the shafts to all rotate in the same direction. The drive may be controlled to cause the shafts to rotate continuously or intermittently as required.

The pickerfingers 22 may take the form of crossed rods 2241 as shown in Fig. 3 or of semicircular segmental members 22b as shown in Fig. 4or ofdiscs22casshowninFigs5and 6. The discs 220 are shown as provided with pins 42 which are inclined in the direction of rotation of the various discs to engage and pick the cellulose fibres from the crumb in the tower.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7a plurality of shafts 42 extend through the tower similarly to the shafts 28 of Fig. 2 and are iournaled in supports 48 on opposite sides of the tower. In this embodiment alternate shafts 48 are driven through worms 22 from a shaft 2| through a gear train 52 from a motor 22, and the other alternate shafts 48 are driven through worms 22 from a shaft 22 through a gear train 21 from a motor 22. In this embodiment suitable control may be provided for causing the motors 22 and 22 to operate alternately so that the various shafts are intermittently driven and one set of shafts constitutes a support to hold and support the fibres in the tower while the other rotating shafts serve to pick the fibres from the stack and discharge the same through the discharge hopper l2. In this way a uniform distribution of the fibres may be obtained.

Referring to Fig. 8 the pulp sheets are indicated as fed by a conveyor 22 to a mercerizing unit 2| in which they are treated with dilute caustic and then pressed for the removal of the caustic therefrom in the usual manner. From the-unit 2| the pressed sheets are fed to a a der 22 in which they are shredded and fluflw to form crumbs and are fed through a pipe 88 to the hopper 2| of the tower l2 above described. Suitable control means shown as ball valve 24 may be provided to control the rate of feed to the tower II.

From the discharge duct "of the tower it the aged alkali cellulose is fed through a duct 62 to a shredder 22, thence to a continuous xanthating drum 21 which may be of type shown in the Seaman application Serial No. 711,339, filed November 21, 1946, for Continuous xanthation, and is adapted to be slowly rotated by means of a motor 28 while carbon disulphide is introduced through a pipe 22 at a controlled rate. The crumbadvances along the drum 2'! at a rate such that the formation of cellulose xanthate has been completed by the time the material reaches the opposite end of the drumgfrom which the xanthate is discharged through a duct 12. The crumb may of course be fed from the tower l2 to any standard 'xanthator, either continuous or batch as desired. A specific type of xanthator has been shown for illustration only.

. ess is continuous throughout as distinguished from batch processes in which the aging takes place'in individual cans or the like. Also that the aging conditions may be accurately controlled to eifect uniform treatment. The rate of feed into the hopper 2| is so adjusted with respect to the rate of discharge from the aging tower that the material passes continuous y through the tower in a predetermined length of time and the tower preferably has a capacity such that it remains substantially full at all times. The temperature is likewise controlledby the admission of heating or cooling fluids through the duct 22 and the removal thereof through the duct 21 as required. If air or inert gas is to be supplied to the alkali cellulose its admission may be accurately controlled through the duct 2| and the inlet openings 22 so as to maintain the desired atmosphere within the tower.

It is to be understood that the tower It may be of cylindrical, square. or other cross section and that the internal surface may be of a metal, tile or other material which is unaffected by the alkali cellulose and to which the alkali cellulose will not adhere. It may be constructed with a slight flare at the bottom to facilitate the downward passage of the crumb if desired.

The shredder 22 may be omitted if the crumb is removed from the tower in suitable condition for xanthation. The supply and discharge from the tower may be interlocked or manually controlled to assure a constant controlled time of aging between admission and discharge.

As a specific example, cellulose mercerized with dilute NaOH (about 18%) and separated from the excess steeping solution by pressing to a ratio of about 1 part cellulose to 1.7 parts dilute NaOH is shredded or opened to suitable fiuifiness so that its unit weight is from 8 to 10 pounds cellulose per cubic foot (from 19 to 2'! pounds of alkali cellulose per cubic foot). This may be fed into a tower about 12 feet in diameter, feet high inside dimensions holding about tons of alkali cellulose. The feed and discharge rate may be adjusted to about 5,000 pounds alkali cellulose per hour, allowing 24 hours ripening time at temperature of from 25 to 50 C. Such equipment would have a capacity of 22.2 tons of cellulose (to aim alkalivcellulose) a, 24 hour cellulose per cubic foot). This may be fed into a tower 15 feet in diameter by 40 feet, high inside dimensions holding about 85 tons oi. alkali cellulose at a rate of 11,250 pounds of alkali cellulose per hour, allowing 15 hours ripening time at a temperature of 40 C. This equipment would have a capacityof 54 tons of cellulose (135 tons alkali cellulose) per 24 hour day.

It is to be understood that a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for purposes 0! illustration only and that the invention is capable of various uses and adaptations. Suitable changes and modifica- 'tions will 'be apparent to a person skilled in the art, The invention is only to be restricted in accordance with the scope or the following claims.

What isclaimed is:

1. The method of aging alkali cellulose in the viscose process. which comprises treating the.

alkali cellulose to loosen, blend and fluii; up the fibres in the form of a crumb, continuously spreading the crumb uniformly across the top of a vertical aging zone of uniform cross sectional area throughout its height, maintaining said zone full of said crumb and allowing the contents to settle by gravity, and continuously engaging and picking the crumb to remove the same uniformly from across the bottom area of said zone under conditions to cause all of the crumb particles to settle. at the same uniform rate to the bottom of said zone so that all of the crumb remains in said zone for the same length of time in its passage from the top to the bottom thereof. 1

2. In the method set forth in claim 1, controlling the temperature of the external wall oi! said zone during the passage oi the crumb therethrough. a

3. In the method set forth in claim 1, continuously passing a gas through said zone under conditions to maintain a selected temperature and atmosphere therein.

STEWART E. 8. ROBERT P. KING.

REFRENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file 01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

